Spurs notebook: Rookie Leonard still a Jimmer believer

Immersed in his own rookie season, Leonard admits he hasn’t seen Jimmer Fredette play much this season with the Kings.

But he remembers how Fredette lit up the Mountain West Conference — and his own San Diego State squad — last season at BYU, led the NCAA in scoring and won national player of the year honors.

Fredette, a 6-foot-2 shooter the Kings are hoping to remake as a point guard, has struggled to find a foothold his first season in Sacramento. Heading into Wednesday’s game against the Spurs, Fredette was averaging 7.2 points and shooting 38.3 percent in 18:23 per game.

“It’s his first year,” said Leonard, selected 15th in the June draft, five spots lower than Fredette. “Everybody’s struggling as rookies coming in. With the lockout, you didn’t get to practice with your teammates. He’s a hard worker. I believe he’ll get better as time goes on.”

For both rookies, life has changed since their epic battles in the Mountain West (BYU has since left the conference). In one meeting last season, Fredette had 43 points in a BYU victory, while Leonard had 22 points and 15 rebounds.

A 6-foot-7 small forward, Leonard has had an easier time finding a fit with the Spurs, starting 24 games and finding a role as a defender and rebounder.

His 5.4 rebounds per game rank fourth in the NBA among rookies, and he is on pace to become the first rookie to lead the Spurs in steals (1.4 per game) since Tony Parker in 2001-02.

“When I was drafted, (coach Gregg Popovich) told me I was going to play,” Leonard said. “I believed him. I didn’t want to sit on the bench. I wanted to contribute.”

Wednesday again showed the difference between the two rookies. Leonard had 19 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in 33 minutes of the Spurs’ 117-112 victory. Fredette was limited to seven minutes, and scored five points, but also badly missed a 3-pointer and committed a turnover.

Splitter’s back is back: Backup center Tiago Splitter said he doesn’t expect the mid-back injury that kept him out of four consecutive games to be an ongoing concern.

“They said maybe it was a little twist, and the muscle just spasmed,” Splitter said. “It’s not a big problem.”

Splitter made his return Wednesday after testing his back with strength coach Matt Herring in pregame warm-ups. He was out of sync, but active, supplying seven points and six rebounds in 13 minutes against the Kings.

Splitter said he considered playing a night earlier in Phoenix, but Popovich opted to give him one more night off. The 6-foot-11 Brazilian has been enjoying a breakout season of sorts, doubling his scoring average to 9.2 points per game.

Popovich said the team will continue to evaluate Splitter’s health as the season progresses.

Deal details: Specifics have emerged about the contracts signed by the two newest Spurs, Boris Diaw and Patrick Mills.

Diaw, a 6-foot-8 forward, is signed through the end of the season and will earn the pro-rated league minimum. Mills’ contract is also a minimum deal and has a player option for the 2012-13 season as well. If Mills opts in, the 6-foot guard would be fully guaranteed $885,120 next season.